Culture & Entertainment

Segways in Winter: The Coolest Thing!

Culture & Entertainment

Segways in Winter: The Coolest Thing!

Only in Edmonton... The first time I rode one of these motorized stand-up scooters I felt like I was a character out of "The Jetsons," that 1970s cartoon series in which everyone transported themselves speedily through the neighbourhood on high-tech contraptions that were way ahead of their time. I experienced the
Segway River Valley Tour in the heart of Edmonton a couple years ago on a sunny fall afternoon. It was hilarious, exhilarating, and the fact that the tour was along a tree-lined river route made it all the more enjoyable. I just discovered that Edmonton Segway tours are also offered in winter. One word: Cool!

Photo (and video below) courtesy of River Valley Adventure Co.

What is a Segway? I recall the brochure read something like, "two-wheeled, self-balancing, electric personal transporter device." What the promotional material neglected to highlight is that riding a Segway will make you giggle like an 8-year-old in a fun house. You'll channel your inner child before you glide through your first curve.
Are they safe? The three Segway tour companies I checked out (Edmonton, Toronto and those in New Brunswick) all provide helmets and begin the session with a safety demonstration, instructions, a short practice, and participants are always accompanied by a trained Segway operator.
Watch this video of the Edmonton Segway tour in winter! [HTML1]
Edmontonians can teach the rest of Canada a lot about enjoying winter. As their winter campaign says: Cold. Yes. Dark.Yes.
Boring. Never. Segway tours are offered in a few parts of Canada, notably in
Toronto's Distillery District and in
Moncton, New Brunswick. I've done the short tour in Toronto but, to be honest, I found the outing less thrilling than my Edmonton experience. In Toronto, we were pretty much confined to the grounds in and around the Distillery District, but in Edmonton we glided for what seemed like miles down along North Saskatchewan River, across bridges, zooming through the various pathways away from the crowds. So I have to say, based on my experience, Edmonton beats us hands-down on the Segway front. And I can't wait to do it in winter. (Every grown-up needs to giggle like an 8-year-old once in a while.) Would you be up for it?